You're using my oxygen

This job can be a real test of patience sometimes, and even more so when I'm feeling even the slightest bit under the weather - a relatively normal occurrence these days thanks to the kids coming in and coughing all over me. I have a short rope on these kinds of days, and the Nurse Ratched in me comes out... No, kid, your mom's phone number isn't "4" and Granny's isn't "2." That would be speed dial, but you can't understand that, much less your own name... Or for the kid yesterday who was in the bathroom and the automtic lights went off because he was in there, still, for so long, and he started screaming, "THE LIGHT WENT OFF" but he had locked himself in there so I couldn't help him - that's called karma for lying to me when I asked if a grown up had told you if it was okay for you to use that bathroom... Or for the kid who crumbles into tears when I so much as look at him, if you don't buck up and grow up soon you're going to be eaten alive when you get to middle school. Quit your whining and get studying like the rest of your classmates. 

I'm not always heartless, but on occasion these kids make me want to call in sick for the rest of the year. It's probably just jealousy, because I can't just call someone and have them pick me up, take me home, put me in front of the television, and serve my every need... Not that these kids do, but it's what I dream about when I have the standard headache and sore throat complaint.

Another kid came in with a stomachache at 10:30 am: she was hungry. I keep forgetting to bring crackers to this site, and I feel terrible about it.